Author: Erica Miller

It’s 2025 and I’ve not written up my news for a while. Not because nothing has happened, but because I was living it swiftly and didn’t stop to note it down. Spring is here, so I’m starting afresh.

I’m awaiting the final bit of editing on a short called, Everything Must Go, that I directed last year in Kent. It’s a mockumentary about the last day of a multigenerational shop and I’m looking forward to sharing it.

I’m currently in rehearsal for a monologue by Catherine Harvey ( 2nd piece of a full length play in development called Dark Oxygen) for Distilled Collective. My actor is the talented Peter J G Pearson. It’s the first time we’ve worked solo together. He’s been a very good sport as I ask him to do unexpected and fun jumps into creativity with me. Tickets are available now at the Drayton Arms Theatre website. It’s 1 of 7 shorts. It’s on Sunday 6th of April and Monday 7th April. Yes, do come along.

https://www.thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk/wait-who-am-i-2

Bye for now!

It’s been months since I last blogged. Many months. So I admit, I’m a v sporadic blogger, but here it goes…

News from 2023: I taught the 1st drama students of Forth Monkey for a term (started in Jan & finished in April). Good students and school – always enjoy seeing drama students excel. I got married in May. May the 4th to be exact. Yes the Force was with us. It was an intimate but fun day. Now I’m spending June/July etc editing a v short film and planning what happens next.

Hope you’re getting time enjoy to relax and live in the Sun. Ex

Just returned from a workshop called Live Performance Goes Digital at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). It was sponsored by Liminal Spaces Productions and ScreenSkills and I truly got to enjoy learning how digital theatre with multi cam’s happens, outside the ones I have made myself. So generous with the knowledge – thanks for all involved.

Now to return to making a one woman show, Harrow’s Angels about the historical figure of Black American Airforce Nurse Abbie Sweetwine who helped save the lives of the train crash victims of the Harrow Train Crash in October 1952 & to post production of our short film, Lost & Found. Excited by both!

In early July, I got the chance to direct the dark comedy short film about bereavement called Lost & Found. Here’s a few BTS photos – taken by Mark Turner. The film is currently being edited, so just the sneak peek for now.

Control – the Sci-Fi short film we made in Lockdown – has been one of my proudest creations and still is. On last Saturday, 23rd April it got it’s Big Screen Debut. It’d been picked up by 23/26 ( yes I’ll need to check the number ) of Film Festivals but because of the Big P, none of festivals had it showing live in a cinema – until now. Women of the Lens; now in it’s 5th year, picked it and 16 other films to highlight Black Women in Film. I’ve never been so touched & excited, so off I went to Shoreditch to Rich Mix to see it!

I was so pleased it sized up. Our little black & white beauty (with hints of green & red in fonts) looked so good up there. We also got to watch another film along with it, called When I ( directed by Elishah St Juste). Though it came as surprise to find it was just me up front for Q&A after, I admittedly hadn’t asked if she also was due to come. I don’t really like the spotlight- much prefer if the work does the talking but needs must. Jennifer G. Robinson ( the Founder & Director of Women of the Lens) did put me at ease so it was all fine.
Phew, first Q&A as film director has been completed!

(photo is taken by their photographer)

I adore it when the endless rain stops, ok it’s the UK so the rain and cold never totally disappears but still…

Plans ahead. Fundraising for Lost & Found is almost over and though we’re not at ten grand, we still have enough to start filming in June.

A bit of filming coming up in May, with me as DOP/Assistant Director for a theatre in London.
Who knows what else is coming up?

So I’m hopeful for ‘22. Not because of politics & pandemic – ugh – but just because I’m literally decided that it’ll be be so.

What’s occurred so far? I helped make a stunning and well received poetry feature film – I filmed it & assistant directed for Catherine Harvey in making it & our company, Roguegunners Productions edited it. It was made for the Finborough Theatre. It’s called An Earl’s Court Miscellany and is available for free until Fri 25th February. Link below:

https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/finboroughfrontier-an-earls-court-miscellany/

Now back to me. 😉 I’ve finished making an audio play for Fizzy Sherbet Podcasts. It’ll come out now. Play is called Eulogies, it’s by Lashay Green. It’s about British Black women’s generational pain/struggle. It’s very evocative piece. It was so good to work with an entire team of women to make it happen and the majority which are Women of Colour. Fizzy Sherbet have a lot of interesting other audio plays and interviews with fab theatre women. See below link:

https://fizzysherbet.podbean.com/e/eulogies-by-lashay-green/

And lastly, I’ve been making films. So we (Johnny Blanchard & myself ) launch a crowdfunder for a meaningful short called Lost & Found. It’s a dark comedy about finding out who a loved one is after their death. We filmed a few of the scenes last year with help of expenses, the kindness production company called IMOTION and our two leads giving us their time- but yes we need more funds to continue to make it. It’s written by Johnny and we both love it as it’s got a sentimental meaning to us both as we’ve lost people but deal with with a sense of humour. So have a look when it goes live and yes please to your pennies, pounds, dollars etc. Thanks.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/insidevoicesfilm/lost-and-found-a-dark-comedy-about-losing-a-loved-one?ref=ksrtwitter-prelaunch

Right off for now… And yes I’m going to hope, you too have a good 2022! (even from February)

I’ve just finished my first week of six directing a play with half of Year 2 drama students at Arts Ed. This is great fun and my aim is give the students a good experience and add to their acting tool kit as the continue to learn about acting. They’re an eager and talented bunch & the drama school has been so welcoming and supportive. YAY!

We’re doing Amsterdam by Maya Arad Yasur. According to Nick Hern publisher the best way to describe it is: “An Israeli violinist. Living in her trendy canal-side Amsterdam apartment. Nine months pregnant. One day a mysterious unpaid gas bill from 1944 arrives.” The entire play has no character names so the 14 students are getting the chance to be anyone and everyone within the play.

Can’t wait to continue with working with them!